Latch lifter for freight-car couplers



et,". 1641924 s p 6 1927 c. FALL ET AL.

LATCH LIFTER FOR FREIGHT CAR COUPLERS Filed Jan. 27. 1925 FIGA FIGZ

ATTORNEY Patented Sept, A6, 1927.

q N11-ra o'1lsprnrasl 1,641,924 PATENT oFFica e errantes rALLI'ANn,rnnnnnroirrnurin nssEXvrLLn, MICHIGAN.

` LATCHnrrrnnronj FRnrGH'r-CARCQUPLERS,

' Application filed` January This invention relates: tok Ifreight` car couplers.` The improvementpertains more particularly to .a mechanical means for lifting the latch of a car coupler ofy that type wherein a horizontal crank shaft is secured to 4the end vof the car and a pivoted link connect-s the crank to be lifted. A

f Our invention resides fio construction. v l

The object-s laire to provide a link which in its .form andap'pearance is substantially to an improved link thesame as the solid or one-piece link which is yat. present commonly employed, and to improve the construction of the upper end ofthe link which has heretofore been made of a solid piece'formed-with a hole through ywhich the crank pin was passed.

The advantage of our improvement will be apparent when the conditions are set forth under which coupler repairs are mad in railroad shops. 1

Couplers, as is well known, are bolted to the under side of the car frame and they 2 frequently have to be repaired and the bolt `connections replaced. A car coupler is heavy and consequently it must first be supported while being unfastened from the rcar frame, and then lowered by means of jacks while the frame is being repaired. Afterwards Vit is jacked up into position and bolted. It is, of course, necessary to disconnectr the latch-lifting link Yfrom the operating crank.

Various types of detachable links have been employed, whereby the connection between the coupler latch and the lifting crank can be quickly unfastened, but with the solid type of approved link, which is made in one piece and has an eye or hole that receives the crank pin, there is no means of quickly and easily detaching the coupler `from the crank shaft. Consequently. it becomes nec-` essary with such `types of coupling devices tounfasten ally of the crank shaft bearings from the end of the car before the coupler can be lowered, and to bolt the bearings in place again when the coupler is raised. These operat-ions require'two or three hours of the time of a crew of repair men, and is expensive. f

Our improvement, which has to do with the construction of the upper or eye-,end of the link, provides means for easily and quickly detaching the latch-lifting link from the crank by merely removing one Small with the coupler latchr 27,1925.` seria-1 Y1\t0.'5f,081.

strength, to withstand endwise pull 'andA edgewise shocks, with the solid or closed eye type of link heretofore employed.`

lV ith the foregoingand certain other objects in view which will appear later in the specilications, our invention comprisesl the devices described and claimed andi the equivalents thereof.

Inv the drawings Fig. lis a diagrammatic view showing the end of a freight car with a latch-lifting link and crank shaft of 'the type to which our improvement is adapted.

Fig. 2 is a side view of our improvedV link.

Fig` 3 isa fragmentary edge view as seen in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a top plan view of the parts'` shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail, partly broken away, showing the movable jaw arrangement.

As is Aclearly shown in the drawings, 1 is the usual car coupler with its locking latch 2, which may be of any suitable construction, and 3 is the link by' which the latch 2 is lifted. 4; indicates the crank, land 5 the crank shaft with its handle 6. The cra-nk shaft is supported by the usual boxes or bearings y7 bolted to the end of the car body. The lower endyof link 3 is provided with laterally projecting lugs 8 that form a pivotal connection between the link 3 and the latch 2, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Heretofore, as above stated, the eye 9 has usually been made solid and the crank pin passed through it, as a permanent assembly. In our improved construction, however, we divide the linkat its eye and thereby provide a pivoted jaw 10 which is secured by a pivot pin 11 to the link 3. 12 is a fixed jaw. The link is bifurcated, as at 13, to receive the lower en'd of the pivoted jaw 10, and a tongue 14 is provided at the free end of jaw 10 adapted to be received in a slit 15 of the fixed j aw 12, as shown in Fig. 4. .la-w10 is pivoted on a suitable pin passed through the holes 16. The lower end of jaw 10 isformed with a curved or rounded shoulder 17, which takes against a corresponding concave Seat 18 on link 3, This `shoulder and sent, when in engagement :1nd held in place by the pin il, leek the jew lt) to prevent its beiner pulled ont endwise. The engaged shoulders relieve the pivot 1l ot strain` so that the eye 'formed by jews l0 und 'l2 is virtually as strong :is that ol the solid-eye lifting;` link heretofore employed.

Similarly the interlocking` tongue l-l :ind bifur'zated end of the fixed jaw l2 impart sneh strength to the eye that for preetiezil purposes this eye, which een be opened, meets :ill the requirements; ot standard speci ieations for a one-piece link, havingzin eye that een not open.

The pivot pin 1l and the pin through holes; lo are subjected to preetieelly no strain While link 3 in use. Yet the removal of the npper pin from holes` 16 allows jaw l() to open, inimedietely diseonneetineI the link from the Crunk pin and avoiding` the necessity ot' removingA :ill ot the shulft bearings in order to repair the eonpler or ite supporting` bolts :ind trame.

By the means above described we have provided u quieleopening link that. is Simple end inexpensive to mamitaeture, yet eenl'orms to the specifications for closed links and does not materially depart from the shape, size or appearance of such links, elreaidy in use.

Having thus described our invention, what we Claim and desire to seenre by Let ters Patent is:

In combination with the lifting crank and liitable lock in e D-type coupler, :L hitchliittingr link havingl :in eye structure consisting` ot' e iixed jew, :t pivoted jaw, e. bearing;v member on seid fixed jew, :i shoulder on seid movable jew adapted to engage Suid bearing member to prevent relative longitudinal movement ol said jews when in closed position, the outer ends of said jews having tongne-end-slot interlockingmeans, .Meid eye structure Comprising.)r :in nneonpline' device adapted to disconnect said lifting' erzink and seid link to permit removed oil? seid coupler independent of said erzink.

in testimony whereof', We zitlix our signm tures.

FREDERICK PAULL. CHARLES FALL. 

